Psalm 126:2
One book that has especially stirred my desire to see more manifestations of the Holy Spirit is Signs and Wonders by Maria Woodworth-Etter. Sister Etter was an evangelist who ministered widely across the United States during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Her ministry drew great attention because it was attended by amazing signs and wonders. I love to read about them because they help me take the limits off my thinking. They stir my faith and remind me that the Lord still wants to do such things—and more—today!
In her account of a meeting in January of 1885 at a Methodist Church, she wrote:
“The church was cold and formal, and many of the best citizens had drifted into skepticism. I knew that it would take a wonderful display of God’s power to convince the people, so I prayed for God to display His power, that the sinner might know that God still lives, and that there is a reality in religion, and this might convict him of a terrible judgment. Five of the leading members of the church said they would unite with me in prayer for the Lord to pour out the power from on high, till the city would be shaken, and the country for miles around. We prayed that Christians and sinners might fall as dead men, that the slain of the Lord might be many. The Lord answered our prayers in a remarkable manner.
“…The power of the Lord, like the wind, swept all over the city, up one street and down another, sweeping through the places of business, the workshops, saloons, and dives, arresting sinners of all classes … Men, women, and children were struck down in their homes, in their places of business, on the highways, and lay as dead. They had wonderful visions, and rose converted, giving glory to God. When they told what they had seen, their faces shone like angels’. The fear of God fell upon the city.”8
Scripture Reading: Hebrews 13:8
On the chilly March night in 1972 when Lynne Hammond took her first step into a life of Spirit-led prayer, she had no idea what was about to happen. All she knew was the hunger in her heart for God wouldn’t let her sleep. In the few short months she’d been born again, her desire to fellowship with Him had grown so strong she could hardly contain it. “Help me, God!” she cried. “I want to know you. I want to be able to talk to you. Please, teach me to pray!”
Suddenly, a heavenly presence flooded the room. Lynne sensed waves of spiritual fire sweeping over her and a beautiful language began to flow like a river from within her. Although she’d never heard of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, she knew instantly, without a doubt—this was God!
What began that night soon blossomed into a life of prayer that ultimately became a ministry of prayer when, in 1980, Lynne and her husband, Mac, founded Living Word Christian Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Under Lynne’s leadership, the prayer ministry at Living Word has become an internationally recognized model for developing effective pray-ers in the local church.
A teacher and an author, Lynne publishes a newsletter called Prayer Notes, has written numerous books, and currently serves as the national prayer director for Daughters for Zion. Her passion for inspiring and leading others into the life of Spirit-led prayer continues to take her around the world to minister to believers whose heart cry, like hers, is “Lord, teach me to pray!”